Hillsborough Student Creates College Guidance Website

HILLSBOROUGH, CA - A junior at Hillsborough’s Crystal Springs Uplands High School has launched a website to help Latin American students looking to study in the United States.

TucanAyuda, founded by 16-year-old Shubham Mohole, provides specialized plans to help Latin American students design a 4-year plan to prepare financially, logistically, and emotionally to study in the US, regardless of socioeconomic status. The free website essentially serves as a virtual guidance counseling, and helps students find programs and colleges they’re interested in, and locate funding. Colleges will also be able to connect with interested students through the platform.

“These kids don’t have access to the greatest college admissions counselors or services,” said Mohole. “Nor do they have the funds to invest in those. So I’m just making it free for them. It’s universalizing college advice. You don’t just want the top 1% of students who are rich enough to be the only ones getting the best college advice.”

Mohole was inspired to create the program after volunteering with Spanish speaking students in Costa Rica on a school trip in 2019. He is currently going through the college admissions process himself, and understands the importance of qualified guidance.

“The college admissions process isn’t about ‘how much money I can spend on this,” he said. “It’s really about your planning and your efforts. If you use TucanAyuda and pursue your passion and work hard; you have a fair chance of getting admitted into the college of your choice.”